


Hide and Seek

by orphan_account



Category: Cinderella 2015
Genre: Cute, F/M, Games, Hide and Seek, toddler critter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-26
Updated: 2015-07-26
Packaged: 2018-04-11 07:36:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4426868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kit is trapped in paperwork when he sees his wife and som playing a game of hide and seek from the window, and he finds a reprieve from the duties of being a king.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hide and Seek

Kit’s head ached, and his eyes blurred as he ran them over the letter in his hands, searching for anything of immediate importance, before placing it down in the pile of useless comments he was bombarded with everyday. He was unbelievably tired, having not slept a wink all night. 

First of all, Ella and him had entered into lengthy discussion over the authenticity of fairytales (although he agreed with her in that they were possibly based off a few grains of truth), which lead to them reminiscing over their short little love story, which lead to bed related activities that lasted well into the course of the night. From there, Kit had simply watched the light of his life sleep, even more peaceful as she slumbered, a dreamier expression on her features. Of course, his tossing and turning woke her up occasionally (he did feel somewhat selfish in that regard), but they had found ways to tire themselves out again. 

Still, he couldn’t sleep when he had so much beauty before him, knowing that he spent so little time with her in the day. He lived for the shimmer in her eyes when she laughed and the kind and loving smile she offered, he lived to kiss her soft lips and hold her close to him - how could he enjoy the day when she was not available to him? Now, he also lived for his children, for the bundle of energy of a son that considered the whole world part of a game and the slight rounding of his wife’s abdomen that told of another life soon to join them, and they too were unavailable, with him wrapped up in his study under the watchful gaze of the Grand Duke amidst mountains of papers.

He nearly missed the nod Phillip gave, directed to the window to Kit’s left, straining all his attention to focus on the words before him. Turning, he saw a small body running down the grassy way of the gardens, hiding behind a hedge and concealing himself from his peruser. The Queen appeared seconds later, leisurely swaying as she feigned a search for their son.   
She was walking back and forth for a while, and a grin was on Kit’s face, by the time she addressed the hedge, scooping Critter up into her arms as he moved to run. He mentally chided her for doing so, but she herself insisted that he was hardly heavy and she never wanted to be that sort of mother that didn’t want to pick up her own child. Kit had argued that it was too strenuous, that in her condition she ought to set a few boundaries, however she had been adamant and he would not refuse her anything, merely warn her and make his feelings known. 

They could hear them faintly, the shrill and happy shrieks of a child at play and the giggling amusement of an adoring mother, through the windows and Kit gave his friend a pleading look as Phillip joined him at the window. The Grand Duke gave His Majesty a stern frown, indicating to the paper work, before dismissing him with a knowing shake of his head. Kit ran, dignity forgotten, through the halls - avoiding a few collisions with frightened servants - to the lower gardens and hurried to the secluded corner that he knew Ella and Critter were in. 

Ella had chosen an easy spot, the place she always went to when it was her turn to hide, and was currently looking through the thin veil of veins that hung over the walls, watching as her little boy toddled about on clumsy feet, a confused frown on his face as he looked in his preferred spots (behind the stag hedge, beneath the lip of the fountain, in the hedge he had just been hiding behind. The north wall of the secret garden failed to cross his mind as he looked about, a grumpier look on his face every time he failed to find her. His mother was on the verge of revealing herself when familiar arms wrapped around her, and she immediately squirmed as he began pulling her closer.

 “Found you.” Kit breathed. She released a suppressed giggle as her captor applied a delicate kiss to her neck, to her ear lobe, dragging his mouth across the shell of ear as she playfully fought back. “Can I play, too?” He inquired as he caught her earlobe in his teeth, and she leaned closer, eyes fixed on the bumbling two year old who was directly in the centre of her field of vision. 

“I think this is an entirely different game.” Ella murmured, her hand moving to cup his cheek, not turning to him. He answered by releasing her ear and pressing kisses to her hand and wrist, wrapping his hand around her arm, even as she pulled him out from behind the ivy. Critter looked alarmed, to say the least. “Papa’s finished his duties.” Ella explained with a smile, pulling the toddler up and planting a kiss on his forehead, creased at the moment by a frown. “Don’t you think he should come play with us, now?” His disposition brightened at the suggestion. 

“You could help Mama find me.” Critter declared, wriggling out of his mothers arms and skilfully hitting the ground with a thump. “You have to count to ten, though.” He became surprisingly serious as he instructed his father in the rules of the game, big eyes wide as he reached for his hand. Kit intertwined his fingers with his sons small chubby ones, allowing Critter to lead him across to the wall he and Ella had only recently sprung away from. “You and Mama have to face the wall and count to ten, or Mama can hide with me and you come find us.” 

“What would Mama wish?” Kit questioned his wife with a smirk.

“I’ll go hide with Critter.” Ella smiled and the toddler looked decidedly pleased with her decision, leaping up into her arms again. 

“Okay.” He grinned, Ella rubbing her nose against his in a way that made him giggle. “But I get to chose where we hide, you always chose the same spot.” An observation he would soon forget.


End file.
